On Media

Donald Trump bans Univision staff from his Miami golf resort

By DYLAN BYERS

06/26/2015 01:11 PM EDT

Donald Trump sent a letter to Univision CEO and president Randy Falco on Friday informing him that "no Univision officer or representative" is allowed to use his Trump National Doral, the resort and golf club immediately adjacent to Univision offices in Miami, the On Media blog has learned.

The move is the latest in a public dispute that started Thursday when Univision announced it would end its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which is co-owned by Trump and NBCUniversal, based on what it described as Trump's "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants" during the launch of his presidential campaign. Trump later announced that he would sue Univision for breach of contract and defamation, and accused Univision of defaulting on an "iron-clad" $13.5 million contract, which he said it had no right to terminate.

In the letter, Trump writes to Falco, "Please be advised that under no circumstances is any officer or representative of Univision allowed to use Trump National Doral, Miami—its golf courses or any of its facilities. Also, please immediately stop work and close the gate which is being constructed between our respective properties. If this is not done within one week, we will close it."

In a post-script, Trump added: "Please congratulate your Mexican Government officials for having made such outstanding trade deals with the United States. However, inform them that should I become President, those days are over. We are bringing jobs back to the U.S. Also, a meaningful border will be immediately created, not the laughingstock that currently exists."

Shortly after publication of this item, a Univision spokesperson told the On Media blog that the following directive had been sent to all employees: "As part of this decision, [Univision Communications Inc.] employees should not stay at Trump properties while on company business or hold events/activities there."

Trump, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, said in a speech earlier this month that he would build a wall to stop Mexico from dumping "rapists" and criminals on U.S. soil, though he later issued a statement accusing the media of trying "to distort my comments regarding Mexico and its great people." Univision said Thursday that it would sever its business relations with Trump based on those remarks, including its five-year contract with the Miss Universe Organization, which gives Univision broadcasting rights to the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

In an interview with the On Media blog on Thursday, Trump accused Univision of capitulating to pressure "put on them by various sources in Mexico."

"The Mexican government is putting pressure on Univision to get me to stop exposing the weaknesses the U.S. has at the southern border," he said during the interview, citing his claims that U.S. leaders were "incompetent" on trade with Mexico, allowing the country to take advantage of the U.S., and that the southern border "is a sieve" that "illegals are pouring through."

"The government of Mexico and the lobbyists and the special interests have put tremendous pressure on Univision, a company that is very subservient to Mexico, to get Trump to stop exposing the terrible situation at the border and the terrible trade deals that are being made by the United States to the benefit of Mexico," he said. "I will not be party to that, because my love of the country is too great to allow this to happen."

On Friday, Trump also published a photograph of a hand-written letter from Univision's Jorge Ramos that included the anchor's personal cell phone number, a move that was likely to inflame tensions between the two parties.